The Praetor And the Spartan
by drogorath
Summary: SO this is a first, I assume. What if Master Chief meets an older Reyna. Will sparks fly? Hope you like it FUTURE
1. The Dream

**The Praetor and the Spartan**

 _Authors Note._

 _I was scrolling over some crossovers and found out that this kind of thing hasn't been done. If you feel strongly about my choice of subject please comment. So let's get to the obvious part, shall we? I do not own The Heroes Of Olympus or Halo, Rick Riordan and Bungie do._

 **Chapter 1: The Dream**

Reyna woke up shivering, Venus' words from all those years ago still reverberating inside her head.

"No demigod shall heal your heart."

She got out of her bed reminding herself that it was just a pointed barb from The Goddess of Love.

She went over to the mirror, to look at her once lush black hair. She figured that probably all the stress she took upon her shoulders as the solitary praetor, whenever the need arose, had taken their toll on her appearance. At 36, she looked at least 10 years older with worry lines and grey hair becoming a common feature in her proud face

But it wasn't those words which made her frightened, it was the vision that she saw

….

She was standing in the central plaza of New Rome. The avenue was lined with the bodies of Greek and Roman demigods.

Before she could assess the damage properly, she was shocked by the presence of an army of humanoids who seemed to be the reason for this destruction.

They were armed with energy swords and laser rifles. She felt as if she were sucked into a sci-fi flick from the old days.

Scanning the mass of the defenders, she saw her fellow Praetor Frank Zhang leading them in a line formation.

"Zaap" went one of the alien's weapons and down went Frank with a groan

"Nooo" she screamed and found herself sweating like hell in the dark

….

"I must contact the others. It's been a long time since I've had such a dream". She told herself grimly.

…

As the damaged spaceship hurtled through space, Cortana was talking to herself" I'll set the trajectory for the nearest inhabitable planet for now."

Cortana sighed as she watched the Master Chief in his cryo-tube. She was interrupted during her musings on the Master Chief's color scheme, by an alarm.

"What the…." I guess John will want to know this."

She set about decompressing the Spartan-II super soldier.


	2. A Grand Reentry

**2\. A Grand Re-Entry**

 _I do not own Halo or HOO, Rick Riordan and Bungie studios do, but I did originate this idea .I'd like to personally thank those who have followed and favorite this story. I apologize for the delay as I had been mulling on a writer's block. I hope you enjoy it._

….

Master Chief Petty Officer John -117 opened his eyes as the doors of the cryo- tube decompressed.

"What is the problem Cortana?"

Cortana replied "It seems we are approaching Earth, John".

The MC quickly moved towards the bridge, looking at the image of what appeared to be Earth. But something seemed off.

He put his suspicions into words "Where are the colonies on the moon.", pointing to a side screen showing the satellite

Cortana confirmed his suspicions."You're observation skills are as remarkable as always. It seems this Earth is in the year 2028 AD, the moon colonies aren't established until the 2080s."

The screen flashed a warning sign." I suppose that we'll have to land here .I have already sent out distress signals for UNSC ships, but they will take some time to respond."

"Do you have any data on that time period? I'd rather not go in blind into a different time '. John ordered.

Cortana started rambling "Well it's not the stone age, so getting information won't be that hard especially with all those satellite signals easy to decrypt".

"Alright then, the MC sighed.

…

The Fifth Cohort had assembled for inspection and Reyna was pleased with the legionaries, but as usual displeased with the new centurion Marcus Gonzalez.

A well built teenager, Marcus was of medium complexion with determined dark eyes. His crew cut black hair complemented his prominent nose. He was one of the leading candidates for Praetor and

Reyna could understand why. His confidence in himself was mostly endearing but sometimes annoying

Marcus started his whining "Praetor, we don't have to muster every week ya know. We haven't fought monsters on a large enough scale since your time."

Reyna caught his emphasis on 'your time'. He was probably bringing up the topic of her retirement from The Legion. "Well, being prepared for battle at any time or place is one of the duties of the legion and I expect that you will bear that in mind".

She announced to the muster "We'll be having war games today, but thanks to your centurion's insolence you'll be on guard today. Any more whining and you will be doing the same for the rest of the week".

"Dismissed".

As Reyna strode way back to the senate flanked by her two metallic dogs, the centurions started addressing their cohort.

Valerie Hulbert, their second centurion remarked." That was harsh, guard duty for the whole day; She must be losing her marbles."

She was a tall French girl with blue eyes, and luxuriant brown curls.

"Well let's get to it then." Ma5b and m90

…..

"So the objectives are

Land the Pillars of Autumn in some uninhabited area

Secure the perimeter and obtain any supplies necessary for immediate repairs." The Chief summarized their discussion

"Yes, and I've already picked up a landing site. There are a few square miles of land, which the satellites seem unable to map. It looks suspicious alright, but, its our best chance of not attracting the attention of The US Armed Forces." Cortana shot out.

"So this place is…"

"is in California, USA and well be getting there shortly so get whatever you want from the armory."Cortana finished his sentence.

John left the bridge to get a M90 shotgun as well as an MA5B assault rifle, his mind full of foreboding. If that spot was shielded from satellite mapping, it was probably a military installation and that could make things unpleasant.

Meanwhile on the bridge, as the ship started entering the earth's atmosphere, Cortana was only partially focused on the task at hand. Her calculations had revealed that the shielding was not human.

John had already comeback by the time they were descending into a beautiful valley .They could see a city a few miles to the north surrounded by seven hills , something which reminded Cortana of a piece of history she had stored in her memory…

John remarked tersely "It seems we' ve been spotted", pointing to one of the screens.

A young man, dressed in a military uniform of some sort was rushing down one of the hills.

…..

Being the descendant of a Roman God was a weird fact, but the descending spaceship heading toward New Rome was even weirder for Kit, the sentry on top of one of the hills overlooking the city..

By Neptune's beard, he swore that it was the first time he'd seen a spaceship like that , He moved over to his sleeping partner and shouted " Jo I guess you'd want to be awake now."

Jo mumbled something like "Is Reyna here to check on us, 'cause I'm not getting up for anybody else."

The coffee- brown skinned Kit, shoved his senior partner from the comfortable bush he was on , forcing him to pen his eyes. The pocket-sized dynamo's face was study in changing emotions. His expression turned from annoyance to disbelief in seconds.

Jo's sharp eyes could see the unidentified vessel was hovering down over Temple Hill. His mind went into overdrive as picked up his bow and quiver.

"Kit, go along Via Praetoria and sound the alarm. By the time you get to the city The Fifth will have neutralized the threat." He ordered.

Kit replied "Alright" struggling to get his feelings under control .He watched as Jo nocked an arrow." What about you?" He asked

Jo replied darkly" Well I can't let the UFO take out New Rome, can I .You do know the protocol for when there's an assault, don't you ? Now stop worrying your ass off and get going." His tone set Kit off at a pace which could have put Mercury to shame, jumping off rocks like a grasshopper leaping of blades of grass.

Jo then turned towards Temple Hill running over the Legions contingency plan in his head. The cohort had been split into two groups; recon groups and reinforcements. The 7 recon teams were stationed on the 7 hills, consisting of one archer and one runner. The rest of the cohort( including the two centurions) were to be the reinforcements numbering 50 legionnaires. He was confident that the Fifth could deal with any monster, but with little green men they could never be sure. He strode towards the plain outside Temple Hill, the best spot for landing the spaceship.

…

As they soon as they had completed the landing procedure, John scanned his surroundings. They were on green patch of land flanked by a ridge on the left. He could see the outlines of structures beyond the ridge with his enhanced vision but nothing more.

"John, unplug me and put me onto your suit ASAP "Cortana ordered

The MC obliged and soon the Green Monster was out of the vehicle bay, letting the surroundings sink in. His revere was interrupted by the discharge of a weapon, from above the ridge.

Instincts took over as he squeezed his trigger just one in the direction of his attacker. The pop sound of his pistol was met with a low groan followed by the sounds of a body rolling back. He intended to examine his attacker , but for now the projectile fired at him attracted his gaze.

Cortana scanned the shimmering weapon. It was definitely a arrow with a golden tip, yet John felt it to be a .38 round. The tip of the arrow seemed to a subject worthy of in depth analysts.

…..

By this time a welcoming party had arrived on top of Temple Hill and they were obviously displeased eith their comrade soaked in blood.

Centurion Valerie swore rapidly, before challenging the green armored monster. "Surrender, monster, or face the wrath of The Twelfth Legion Fulminata


	3. A Fantastic Meet & Greet

**3\. A Fantastic Meet & Greet**

 _I do not own Halo or Heroes of Olympus but I did create this premise. I was inspired by the story Halo of the Hidden Leaf a crossover between Halo and Naruto. I would like to thank all my followers and reviewers for the support they have tendered me and would like to apologize for the delay in uploading this chapter. Read. Enjoy. Review._

* * *

The Master Chief was surprised by the challenge. Cortana had been analyzing the arrow verbally and this made it difficult for him to notice what was happening (the strange projectile had let curiosity win over better sense).He scanned the area for the owner of that voice. He spotted a group of soldiers encircling him from afar who had obviously come from the cliff. As they moved closer they seemed to be shimmering.

Cortana instructed him to lower his weapons, which he did with a hint of a hesitation. Even though he didn't like being unarmed, he also didn't want to escalate the situation. He lifted his arms to show the fast approaching group that he was unarmed" I mean you no harm. Let me speak to the officer in charge."

He was surprised at the composition of the small group numbering about 30. At first glance they appeared to be children dressed in military fatigues, armed with assault rifles. Yet at the same time he felt that this image was overlapped with another image of armored figures….. No, that couldn't be right..

A tall young women stepped out of the group, obviously the leader "That would be me "She stepped forward, cautious yet confidant towards him. The tall girl had chocolate colored hair and clear green eyes. Some of her soldiers moved behind her falling into a double lined line formation. He also noticed that the other half of the soldiers were moving to block the road.

"Eyes, on me monster "she said as moved closer. She was dressed in an US Army officer's uniform yet John couldn't get the idea out of his head that she was wearing something else….For the first time in a long while he was unsure of his senses. He had to put his doubts to rest for now.

"Lieutenant, I'm sorry for hurting one of your soldiers. It was unintentional". The girl was just 3 paces away from him, not easing up at all. Her cold eyes were still focused on him.

"How did you breach the defenses, monster? Are you one of Prometheus's brood? "

John replied calmly" I'm human. And I don't get what you meant by Prometheus's brood".

The girl obviously took that as a joke. She laughed setting off smiles among her troops. She turned towards John" Well, if you're indeed human, tell me your name".

John looked right into her eyes and replied "You can call me John."

The girl found this amusing as well. "Well, a monster named John, how awkward, eh? Let me check if you're lying". In a sudden motion, she threw a dagger of some sort from her belt onto John's chest.

John reacted instinctively and tried to sidestep the dagger. The' thuck' sound from under his abdomen, confirmed his belief that she would inevitably hit him at that distance.

He advanced forward, prepared to fight the squad of hostiles, but was stopped by an astounded look in the officer's face

. "How, in the name of Pluto, did you not disintegrate?" She stammered turning back to her troops among whom the confusion started to take effect. John could see a couple of kids dropping their weapons and talking amongst themselves.

Cortana who had taken the backseat for a while, knowing John could easily dispatch the whole unit , spoke to him" They were expecting that knife to disintegrate you, so I assume that that weapon has some special properties other than the obvious holographic property. I believe that knife throwing has benefited us, since it has proven that you are not the monster they were expecting. We have to take advantage of this confusion now."

The Master Chief, bent his head down a bit to retrieve the dagger which had been deposited under his shoulder. While he wanted to examine, this mobile disintegrator, he knew that Cortana was right. He turned to retreating officer" Well, it seems I'm not your monster, am I?

He tossed the knife towards the girl. She caught it reflexively and took a deep breath "It seems that you are not lying. However, you have still entered restricted territory. I have to take you to our leaders." she said her eyes not actually leaving her troops.

He nodded his assent and watched as a couple of soldiers, picked up his weapons.

The girl shouted orders" Cohort, form ranks."The soldiers flanked John as they marched toward an unfamiliar location. As they marched, John noticed soldiers falling into the company every 15 minutes. He could see a city looming in the horizon.

…

Reyna, didn't like to interrupt exciting games of Death Ball if she could, but she had no choice, with the alarm bells being set off at the medic's tent. She sighed at the sight of her legionnaires getting out of the beautifully arranged Wild West, arranged by sorcery. There was a classic shootout going on with the 3rd Cohorts centurion sniping his enemies from the salon window in true Wild West style.

As she sped towards New Rome on her Pegasus, she remembered the last time she had to interrupt a war game, bringing sealed away pain back to the surface. She remembered that tragic day nineteen years ago.

…

That Death Ball match had to be cancelled because of a security breach. Reyna remember those scenes vividly.

As she rushed toward New Rome from the Field of Mars, she could see smoke on the horizon. It seemed to be from the centre of the citadel. She was shocked as it had been hardly a year since The Giant War, so there were no existing threats. The crowd of Romans around the Senate building told her otherwise

She was even more shocked to find out the reason. A golden dragon had crashed down into the Senate. Leo….

By the time, she landed; the healers had placed two bodies on stretchers, retrieved from the wreckage. As she walked over, she felt time slow down as she saw the lifeless face of Leo Valdez, the hero who had come back from the dead. Right next to him lay the corpse of his lover, Calypso. His dragon, Festus was acting as if he never deserved the name Happy, crackling, puffing and shedding oil tears. Leo Valdez had fallen, trying to assist Apollo on his quest to recapture the oracles.

….

She couldn't get that tragic scene out of her head even after she entered the _principia_. She was greeted by Centurion Valerie, who didn't seem to be in the mood for that." Praetor, we seem to have a security issue.

As soon as she nodded her assent, Valerie, started telling her about the alien visitor. After an initial expression of surprise, she re assumed her usual collected composure.

"So, we have him outside this hall. " She finished.

Reyna sat upright on her praetor's chair, momentarily glancing at the empty chair beside her .Since Frank Zhang's resignation five years ago, the post of her fellow praetor had been occupied by his wife Hazel, until allegations of nepotism forced her to resign, nearly 5 months ago. Instability had become the norm once again.

She shifted her gaze toward Valerie (catching her casting a greedy look at the praetor's chair)." Bring in the monster "she ordered.

When the doors opened, she saw the giant move slowly toward the table, flanked by Marcus and 15 legionnaires. The green suited, 7 foot tall creature was certainly intimidating. Reyna didn't like the fact that his spacesuit had a dark yellow visor covering his eyes, since reading expressions was a specialty of hers.

She greeted him "Hello, um, John, isn't it?"

John replied in his deep voice. "Pleased to meet you, General."

* * *

 _Hey, this is my longest upload ever yet. I'd appreciate your opinions on the development of the story. Thanks for your support. The next uploads gonna be after I update my Of Two Paths, so probably just before the end of this month._


	4. A House Divided Upon Itself

**4\. A House Divided Upon Itself**

 _Hey guys, I know it's been of time since the last update, but I finally got the story plotted out. This is going to be a really long chapter, with a lot of story and some politics. I really want to appreciate the support you've given me and am pleased to say the summer means a lot more time to type. So, Read. Enjoy. Review._

John felt like entering a different world as he walked along the paved road surrounded by a company of soldiers. He could see a beautiful city with marble domes slowly fading away. As he scanned his surroundings more carefully, his eyes met a wondrous, yet enchanting sight.

There were seven round hills in the basin shaped valley, all flecked with pinches of golden plains and pine forests. A river was thundering around the city, like G shaped serpent protecting its eggs.

Even though Cortana was fascinated by the beautiful scenery, she felt that this place was quite similar to one of Halsey's lessons on history, specifically Ancient Rome. Yet, that city could not be located in San Francisco. She voiced her misgivings about this location to the Spartan, who just nodded.

Her suspicions were cemented by the Roman style encampment towards which they were moving. Hardened mud walls were flanked by earthen ramparts on all four sides, each containing an armed ballista. They were approaching a guarded gatehouse, when they were stopped by a lone guard, probably an NCO.

He moved up to the girl who was commanding their entourage and whispered something in her ear. She nodded in the affirmative and went into the gatehouse alone.

As soon as a few others fell into their company they marched into camp, heading towards a magnificent two storied building, surrounded by various banners.

His senses tingled as he was led into what was obviously the headquarters of this setup, as he saw a strange assortment of knives, gumballs and electronic devices laid across what was supposed to be the command and control centre of the facility. A woman seated in one of the high backed chairs immediately drew his attention with a customary greeting.

She was of medium build, dressed in an officer's uniform, decorated with many medals. A woman in her early forties she was easily the oldest among the soldiers, her dark hair, flecked with white. Her face was carved regally like that of a queen, but deeply set worry lines betrayed a lot of suffering. Her eyes, however did give an aura of raw power.

He returned her curtsey, "Pleased to meet you, General".

She looked at him for quite some time before responding, "I'd prefer the title Praetor. Now let's get to the matter at hand, shall we? Who are you and how did you get here? I hope you don't think that you can lie to me, because if you do, my hounds, Aurum and Argentum here", she pointed towards the gold and silver statues of dogs at her sides( both of which hadn't been there a moment ago) ," would know".

John decided to tell her the truth or at least part of it. Though he had been sure of beating the company that had accosted him, he was sure that fighting this woman along with the rest of her whole company would be the closest shave he ever had.

He began introducing himself,

"I'm Master Chief Petty Officer John – 117 of United Nations Space Command Marine Corps and I had to conduct an emergency landing on your planet , after our ship sustained damages during our voyage. I would like to have temporary shelter on this planet until I can finish repairs on it."

The women replied evenly, "Ah, a soldier, eh? But I do not know of any United Nations Space Command. What you've told us seems to be true, yet as the praetor of this Legion, I'd like to have more information, before which I can make a decision as regards to yourself."

Still, wonderstruck by the terminology used John, decided to switch on his HUD's holographic device. As Cortana's image flickered into life, most of the soldiers acted spooked out. The self declared praetor, however seemed to regain her cool in a flash of a second.

Cortana broadcast her voice throughout the hall "I am Cortana, the Master Chief's AI companion." Upon seeing an encouraging nod from the praetor, she went on to give them the history of United Nations Space Command and something about the Spartan suits as well.

Reyna listened to all this in silence, sitting expressionless in her chair.

Cortana decided to clear out some of their suspicions regarding the facility since they had satisfied the praetor for now.

"So, Madam Praetor, we seem to be stuck here for now. May I ask you something about your facility? Is it a Roman- themed sociological experiment? "

A tiny smile tugged at the tips of the leader's lips as she replied "So it seems you do know something about Roman civilization. I hope you know of the Roman gods, don't you?"

Cortana replied" Yes, like Jupiter, king of Olympus and Juno his queen. Then there's Mars, Venus, Mercury… "

Reyna cut her list short "Yes, well I suppose you do. I can't think of any way to say this, but they are real. They sometimes walk among the mortals and have offspring"

Ignoring the Master Chief's dazed expression she completed Reyna's sentence" Demigods."

Reyna was mildly annoyed by the AI projection's know-it-all attitude, but she went on "Yes, demigods, bringing us to the purpose of this facility, which we like to call Camp Jupiter. When Rome fell, The Twelfth Legion under secret orders from Jupiter himself went underground, establishing, New Rome, the city to our west. We recruit demigods as well as their worthy descendents, to fight monsters and uphold the memory of Rome. This reminds me that I haven't actually introduced myself, I am Reyna Avila Ramirez- Arellano, daughter of Bellona and the sole praetor of our legion."

The Master Chief knew he couldn't take all of this at face value. Yet, he felt that he could trust this woman to be truthful. Her behavior, reminded him of his maverick yet brilliant former CO Captain Keyes. But for now he had to ask one of the questions that were troubling him.

" Why do I see you as two images being super imposed , one on the other. I can see you wearing a Brigadier- General's uniform from afar but on closer inspection I find you wearing some plate armor. Why is it like that? "

Reyna replied looking at him straight into his visor and replied carefully "The first image you saw , Master Chief Petty Officer was generated by the Mist, which shields the actions of monsters and gods from mortal eyes. Considering that you have made it into camp, I think we should remove it, don't you think so, Valerie?"

The officer reluctantly nodded and seemed to concentrate for a few seconds before whatever was covering his eyes was lifted and he could see that all of them were dressed in plate mail.

Reyna continued "My centurion Valerie here is a disciple of Hecate and as such is capable of Mist manipulation. "

She turned to the girl "Valerie, escort our new arrivals to Centurion Levesque , who has to be instructed to follow Order 32. Ask her to accommodate him at Villa 11"

"Now, rest up for tomorrow, Master Chief. We have to present you before the Senate , who will vote on your request. Good Night ."

She gestured to be left alone as the Master Chief was led out of the principia by the contingent. When he turned back, he could see that the man with the plumed helmet (obviously an officer), had stayed behind in the hall.

…..

Reyna didn't want to talk with Centurion Marcus Gonzalez, especially on such a day . But Marcus obviously had other ideas.

The young man broke the icy silence with a fiery outburst "Reyna, I can't allow you to accept this man, not when he's killed one of my soldiers."

Reyna frowned "Our reports state that he was not challenged before he was shot at and him being a trained soldier, reacted in the way any person interested in his own self -preservation would, by shooting his attacker."

Marcus responded his tone rising "It is an undeniable fact that he killed a child of Rome, yet you still try to protect him. You defend any alien yet would not give amnesty to one of our own, to Nicky, to Karim, to…."

Reyna's voice stated catching up to Marcus's in pitch, "How dare you challenge my devotion to Rome, by citing the names of traitors, who defiled our ideals. If you dare challenge my decision, do it in the Senate, like a responsible senator, not like a spineless emotional blackmailer."

Marcus stormed away from the room mumbling "You may be the longest reigning praetor, but your Senate is divided. I'll see if I can make it tumble down, like the house of cards it is."

….

Valerie felt totally drained after her encounter with the super soldier and was especially relieved to hand him over to Hazel Levesque, one of The Seven and a former praetor. She was agitated by through the loss of Jo, one of her best archers .

Her agitation was turned up a notch when she found a note pinned to her door back at the barracks.

She started reading the printed letter her surprise growing tenfold after each line.

 _Citizen,_

 _Citizen,_

 _A group of citizens considered with the running of our government headed by Praetor Ramirez-Arellano are gathering today at the Forum near Coliseum Square. We would be honored to have you attend this meeting , with regards to the upcoming elections on the Feast of Fortuna as well as with regards to the setting free of some political prisoners. If you so choose to come , wearing a mask would be desirable for matters of privacy. Even if you do not come to this meeting , rest assured that your opinions are respected._

 _SPQR_

After reading this letter, she decided to go over to Market Square, to get one of those carnival masks on sale.

 **Author's Note**

 _ **Did you like how we're going ? Sorry for the wait. Your opinions are valuabe**_


	5. In the Eternal City

**5\. In the Eternal City.**

 _Hey guys, it_ _ **hasn't**_ _been awhile, eh? Mighty pleased I could put this up within 1 week of the last update, so you can expect some more this week (maybe not this story). Thanks for you know reading and reviewing (albeit the latter being disproportional to the former) as well as for following and being presented with the prize of a favorite story quite a few times. This being said, have you checked out my other Fairy Tail story 'Of Two Paths '.Lets cut to the story shall we?_

"Well, New Rome is interesting, isn't it? " Hazel asked as she led him toward the marbled city.

The Master Chief thought that agreeing to that would be an understatement. As they came closer to the city, multicolored squares he had seen from afar turned into gardens and plazas. The city was a collection of beautifully arranged pillars and aqueducts, whose streets where paved with cobblestones upon which a mass of people went about their work. He turned to look at the woman who was escorting him to his lodging.

Centurion Hazel Levesque was quite different from the Praetor, both in form and in attire. She was younger than Reyna, with beautiful brown skin and curly hair of the same color. The thirty- something woman was wearing a comfortable dark purple dress.

She interrupted his train of thought by pointing toward a peculiar statue, saying "That's Terminus, god of boundaries. His statues are placed around the city, forming a perimeter known as the Pomerian Line beyond which no weapons are allowed. Any major fight going on here wouldn't end up well for its participants" she said, ominously before stepping toward the armless statue.

What happened next was unbelievable. The statue moved its half-limbs to examine Hazel's forearm before talking to her in a pompous voice "Ah, Centurion Hazel , Fifth Cohort, how's your kid coming along , eh ?"

She smiled before replying "He's learned to speak. "

Terminus responded" Well, the kid's a fast learner, much like his parents. Now what kind of abomination do you have behind in tail, eh?"

He didn't need to point at him for Master Chief to understand that he was the person being referred to. HE chose to ignore the insult, rather than fight with a talking statue.

Hazel, turned back to glance at him, to ensure that he didn't respond, before talking to the statue. "He's a guest of the Legion, Terminus. Reyna will talk about him in detail at the next Senate meeting. So, could you not start off hostilities?"

Terminus reluctantly nodded his assent before commanding "You, in the body armor. Remove it as soon as you get to your accommodation. I've a feeling that armor of yours could easily quash quite a few Romans into pulp. Besides, it's too aggressive for a city full of civilians. Now, don't dillydally, I haven't all day, you know."

They moved away from the statue and into what was supposed to be a residential district. The block was straddled by a paved road, with villas on either side up until a gatehouse.

After walking past some of the magnificent villas, Hazel stopped in front of a small walled compound with a large sign posted in front of its gate.

It read 'Villa XI'

Hazel gave him a key and told him "As Terminus told us, it would be better if you got your armor off, so you don't piss off the veterans and Lares. There's a change of clothes and a shower in there so you can clean yourself up if you want to, or..."

The Master Chief interrupted her by saying "I'd like to see the city, first if it isn't too much trouble".

Hazel seemed ready to comply with his request. "Alright, let's see some of New Rome." she said before walking up the road, through the gatehouse to a public square, Master Chief in tow.

The plaza was lined with shops and banks on all four sides. People stared at him as they passed and he stared back, not in anger but in awe as he noticed that some of these people were not human.

A goat-legged vagabond, tried to block their path, dressed in a bright pink overcoat and contrasting blue pants. He addressed Hazel "Yo, Hazel could ya lend me 5 denarii ? A faun's gotta get his coffee, ya know."

Master Chief thanked Hazel mentally for telling him of this particular type of New Roman lest he kicked him out of the way.

Hazel sighed before tossing a few coins in his over large coat pocket and muttered "This is a guest, Don, and you are giving him a bad first impression of New Rome. Please go away."

Don the Faun backed off smiling gratefully "I won't piss him off Hazel, 'cause he gives me the creeps, him being like our old One Day Praetor, except that he isn't so fun to talk to " He bowed his head and disappeared into the crowd.

Cortana asked Hazel when Don was out of sight "One Day Praetor?"

Hazel frowned before replying "He's talking about Percy Jackson, one of our ex- Praetors. He came to us suddenly rose to become Praetor within the week, before stepping down the next day. His sudden appearance was a watershed moment for our camp, just as I feel your arrival will be. He must have felt it as well."

They moved toward a secluded garden where they sat down upon benches.

Cortana asked Hazel something which had been bugging her for quite some time now."What's wrong with Reyna? My observations of her behavior indicate severe stress and premature ageing yet most of the older populace who live in New Rome appear younger than their years. Do you know why? "

Hazel starred at the fountain for a while before replying "She's had a hard life you know, what with two wars and romantic disappointments all while leading the legion alone. I don't want to go into it."

Cortana sensed that that was the most Hazel was going to speak about their leader. She decided to pursue another line of questioning "How is the Legion organized?"

Hazel seemed to be more eager to talk about that than the personal life of her leader. "Well, we have two praetors who lead the Legion together, elected by ballot on the Feast of Fortuna or through popular support after a heroic victory on the battlefield. As you may have noticed the seat of one praetor is vacant and has been since I resigned" she said rather curtly.

Before Cortana could ask her any more questions, a man marched into the garden huffing and puffing. He was the officer who had walked into the praetor's office and seemed to be in a bad mood.

He turned towards Master Chief and pointed a finger a him accusingly" You're trying to destabilize Rome aren't you? You may have got her fooled but I'll always be keeping a watch on you."

Hazel held him back hissing "He's a guest of Rome, Marcus, treat him as such."

Marcus seemed to cool down at her warning before leaving them, still muttering.

Hazel sighed in relief, before talking to John." I guess that's enough sightseeing for today. Let's take you back to your villa, Okay?"

Master Chief concurred

…..

A few miles away Valerie was picking up a Virgo mask from the vendor, her nerves fraught with anticipation for the nocturnal rendezvous.

The vendor told her "That will be 25 denarii."

She paid him the money, her thoughts still wandering about like a flock of sheep without a shepherd. She was still thinking about HIM as she walked backed to camp."

 _Well who is he supposed to be? You're guesses are welcome._


	6. Prelude to Chaos

**6\. Prelude to Chaos**

 _Hey folks, how you doing? Sorry for the long hiatus, caused by some revelations with regards to the nature of Spartan suits tendered to me by priceless22 , The Tell Tale Man and Tenash. I would like to thank them for their help. I would like to request my readers to review. So lets get to the meat of the matter._

An uncanny silence shrouded the dark Forum, only broken by the torches held by the small group that had gathered there. All of them where dressed rather similarly in dark clothes and weird masks. Valerie immediately gravitated to a man, who seemed the leader of the group. He was standing upon the bench set in the middle of the Forum, preparing to speak.

The tall man was dressed in a black robe, his faced covered by a serpent mask. He seemed to have an aura of power that seemed to have made most of the members stop talking.

"Citizens", he began to speak, jolting Valerie with his nearly familiar voice." We have gathered here to discuss the reprehensible situation of our beloved New Rome."

His opening statement seemed to galvanize the crowd into action. After pausing to let his words sink in, he continued "Praetor Reyna has led this Camp for a long time. While I appreciate her leadership through the Titan and Giant Wars, I think it is time that she stepped down, don't you think so?"

Valerie decided to interrupt the speaker" Reyna's led us well through times of trouble, but if you want a change in leadership, why can't you nominate somebody for praetor, rather than try to force Reyna to step down"

The speaker replied, unfazed by the question "Well , we all know that most of New Rome considers Reyna to be a savior and as such we cannot expose her electorally. Her continued praetorship is a threat to the Republic as well as to its citizens. Her putting down of the Insurrection is indicative of her authoritarian tendencies. As she has aged, her antidepressants seem to have more control over New Rome than her logic yet she continues to adamantly claim that her interests are Rome's interests .Her execution of Centurion Shah and imprisonment of _Opitio_ King, both of them proud Romans , reveals her Greek-leaning sympathies.

Can you disagree with that, citizen?" looking at her right into her eyes.

She didn't have a response. The man had brought back memories of her dear cousin Nick King with his riposte. Once a centurion-in-waiting, the red haired Apollo legacy, was hanged to death. His decision to side with his immediate superior Shah cost him his position as well as his life.

A couple of years ago, Shah had proposed to do away with the cordial relations with the Greeks and begin the expansion of New Rome into mortal locations, so as to ensure a decrease in the reaction time of the Legion in the event of a massive monster attack. The other senators rejected this proposal unanimously and asked Shah to refrain from expressing such expansionist opinions. Furious, Shah ordered his Second Legion to attack the principia, but his partner Cho tipped off Reyna about his intentions. When the Second Legion barged in to topple the praetors, they were greeted by the First and Fifth Legions, who forced their surrender. Centurion Shah was tried and executed, while the officers who sided with him were punished, the severity of their punishment corresponding to the authority they held. Since Nicky was technically ranked just below the Centurions was sentenced to hang, after he tried to bargain for the life of his juniors, for whom his pleas reduced the quantum of punishment to exile. This series of events (called The Insurrection), resulted in Frank Zhang's resignation and Reyna's authoritarianism.

Valerie was a staunch supporter of Reyna's leadership until her decision to execute him. Now, standing alongside dissidents criticizing the praetor, she felt her un-Roman side baying for retribution. She was given a reprieve from her disturbing line of thought when the leader spoke again.

"As we speak a monster has taken refuge in our city after killing Kit, one of the Fifth Legion. He seems to have dropped down from a supposed spaceship and has been offered shelter for the night by the praetor without consulting the Senate. What if this is another attempt by the Greeks to influence Roman policy , like when Jason Grace was seduced into Greek ways ? "

His arguments were winning ground and Valerie knew that she had to intercede. Criticizing Reyna was one thing but warmongering was definitely something else. She spoke out," Percy Jackson was a Greek hero, yet we elected him praetor of our own free will didn't we? It is stupid to declare that the new arrival is a Greek agent since firstly the Greeks have no need to dominate Rome and secondly, since I can confirm that the intruder is definitely not of this world. He claims to be from the future and denies knowledge of monsters and gods. While I do agree that accepting him into our city was hasty, I see no reason in antagonizing the Greeks over this trivial issue."

The leader was silenced by her reasoning. She was sighing in relief when another person spoke out " We will oppose the entry of this alien into our city but only on grounds of security reasons .I think it would be in our best interest if we concluded this session with a motion to deny this Monster accommodation in our city. Now let's get to it.

…..

Somewhere in space, a UNSC ship navigation room is bustling with activity. A blimp on the system indicating a distress signal on an unexplored planet attracted the attention of the Minor in charge of navigation. He decided to inform his commander of this incident.

Marching into the captain's cabin, he found The Shipmaster looking through the former captain's log , surrounded by massacred UNSC personnel.

"Shipmaster, we have an interesting distress signal from the spaceship Pillars of Autumn on an unidentified planet with similarities to the human occupied Earth. "

The Ultra responded evenly "That craft should have been destroyed on Reach. Let's finish it off. Plot a course immediately and inform your Ultra of this interesting development."

 _A bit of drama, eh? But this is kind of essential for the story .The next chapter's going to be longer and hopefully will be up next week. I may even post a couple of them more quickly if you review some more. I really appreciate constructive criticism so there goes.._


	7. Why Every Commander Loves A Battle

**7\. Why Every Commander Loves a Battle**

 _Guys, Sorry for the long wait….My CPU had its processors fried and as such I couldn't type up anything else for a while. Hope you enjoy this late update._

John was mildly amused by the going–ons at what appeared to be the Roman Senate. Seated amidst the row of empty seats toward the left of the podium, he could see the Roman officers sitting distractedly on their seats, occasionally sending him a wary look. They knew that today's meeting was to be about the mysterious stranger. He could see Hazel and Valerie discussing something in a serious ton while Mark was having another animated discussion with his colleagues.

All of this was put to an end when Reyna took the podium. She silenced the crowd with a wave of her hand. The senators listened to her in rapt attention.

"We've gathered the Senate to discuss two matters of consequence and they will be debated and voted upon. I'd like to get straight to the matter .The first affair is of the granting of asylum to Master Chief Petty Officer John-117, who I think all of you were acquainted with during yesterday's late night briefing. I wish to remind the Senate that it is the Roman way to provide shelter for foreign travelers marooned on our lands. Let me hear your views on the matter."She finished her opening statement.

Before any other senators could respond Mark stood up and began his riposte."I agree with Reyna that it is the Roman way to help out wary travelers and to help them continue their journey. But, he is a soldier, if I am not mistaken, is he not? Who claims to have come from the future, who has fought against aliens of some sort? Wouldn't it be wiser to detain and interrogate him so as to ensure that he is not an impostor sent by the monsters to sabotage our city? Isn't his story absurd enough to warrant suspicion ? Hasn't there been precedent of monsters using mortal mercenaries to do their bidding? And what of Jo who was killed by this individual? Is the Legion not responsible for seeking justice for its fallen? I hope our praetor has an answer for that."

These questions prompted some senators to rise in indignation. Mark did have some clout amongst the senators.

Hazel stood up and tried to put an end to that line of thought with her polite response. "I agree with Mark that the situation is peculiar and that this matter has to be viewed through the lens of security issues. But I do not think that him being a soldier weakens his claim for asylum since soldiers have always been venerated in our civilization. It was his very profession as a trained soldier that caused him to respond by shooting our comrade. From all the accounts of the incident I have heard, it is clear that Jo opened fire upon him without warning and that in the interest of self preservation , the MC shot him.I believe that we should provide shelter for the soldier as well as for his charming AI companion whom I think you have not met, under the constant supervision of our Legion and that it is time we reviewed our security protocols to prevent this debacle from recurring."

Reyna thanked Hazel internally for her getting a compromise from the hawks in the house , since Mark was silenced by her response. Reyna decided to call for the vote" As it seems that we have no disagreement with regards to the granting of asylum to Master Chief Petty, I propose that we accommodate him in Camp Jupiter so as to fulfill both courtesy as well as prudence. All in favor , raise your hands."

Nine out of ten was close enough to a consensus for the matter to be settled. Reyna then moved onto the second matter without letting the senators argue about themselves.

"Monsters have been encountered in the San Francisco Bay area by a party of Greek heroes. They were supposed to secure a shipment of ambrosia and nectar but were ambushed outside the location by a group of Cyclops. Though they managed to fulfill their quest, Chiron expressed his concern with regards to the sudden increase in monster attacks in this part of the country since the last incident which killed all three Greeks in Sacramento…. I would like a decision from the Senate with regards to any action we should we should follow with regards to this report. I propose an expedition to sanitize Bay Area of all monsters. I hope all of you are for it."

Reyna was pleased to see that nobody objected to this proposition .A military expedition would keep the senator's minds off Gonzalez's objections. Besides, even Mark wanted some slaying himself. Everyone liked a battle.

She continued,"I propose to send the Second Cohort to secure San Francisco. I want Anderson and Fox to get ready to disembark by 7 am tomorrow. I want you to secure all entry and exit points to the city before cleansing of important locations."

A broad-set blond young man and a shorter brunette responded with affirmative nods.

Valerie stood up to make her concerns heard." I'd recommend that we secure the warehouse from which we collect our ambrosia and nectar. We haven't received our usual supplies this week. I thought that this was just a mistake from our suppliers but with this report I feel like this is something our party has to look into this matter.

The brunette centurion seemed to take this into account before standing up. She announced" We'll be extra careful of what goes down in all of the enterprises dealing with New Rome."

Reyna seemed pleased with the outcome. "If we have no further matters to discuss then I'd like to conclude the session."

….

Everyone seemed to be eager to disperse except for Mark and Valerie who seemed to be uneasy about something. But before he could hear more of their conversation, Hazel pulled him away.

"I know that you were confused by Reyna allowing your presence while we discussed matters of New Rome but this was

Necessary for the senators to trust you .All of them may not agree with Reyna's decisions but they know that she is an excellent judge of intentions. Having you present when we discussed this expedition will only increase their trust in you. Now, I'll guide you to the _praetoria_ where you can stay for as long as you want…"

Cortana could read her expressions well enough to understand that she was uncomfortable about something….

Meanwhile , Valerie shouted at Marcus" I can't understand why you would believe this source of yours..I have a bad feeling about this expedition."

Reyna sighed in desperation as strode into the _praetoria_. Marcus had forced her hand again with his words. Now she had to send in a cohort to sanitize SF on the basis of Chiron's 'information' as brought to her notice by Mark. She felt the weight of New Rome on her shoulders as collapsed onto the chair. She was uneasy about the probable outcomes of tomorrow's expedition…..

 _Guys, The next chapter is going to be full of action. I'm nearly halfway through the story…Thanks for your support_


End file.
